Amber
by kyaracandy
Summary: Neo Domino City is holding a national tournament, and perhaps Yusei will meet someone new there. Yusei/Jaden
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Well, I started writing a multichap for Starshipping, so let's see how this goes. There is no Jaden in this chapter, but he does indeed appear later. ;D Enjoy~ Um yeah, and my chapters tend to be relatively short ;-; Sorries.  
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_Also, my Misnomershipping fic was put on hold for several months, but I did write a bunch of it the other day, so I may have the fifth chapter up tonight. We'll see! It's not dead yet, I swear!  
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><p>An otherworldly orange glow characterized the city. A soft breeze moseyed across the busy streets, touching the faces of all who were out for an evening stroll or otherwise. The lone Yusei Fudo, however, could only see it playing on the leaves of the shrubberies nearby. He liked watching the city. For all its business and floods of people every day, once the lull of the amber evening washed the buildings in its color, the city liquefied into a viscous fluid; business slowed, commuter traffic lessened, and people grew more quiet and exhausted. This was the magical time at which Yusei loved to sit by his window after a long day's mechanical work. He had time and silence to sit and wonder and admire, a solitude he savored every day.<p>

A deep crack was drilled into his time alone when Jack Atlas himself burst through the door, blazing with excitement about something or other. Maybe it was ramen again. Jack had a tendency to make a big deal out of nearly everything. With a heavy sigh, Yusei turned to see what news his friend could possibly have on a weary Tuesday.

The blond took a deep breath and attempted to regain a king's composure. At that very instant, the peace was shattered again as Crow, in the most uncouth way possible, stormed past the threshold. The black feather duelist grinned, but this was immediately dissolved as Jack expressed his discomfort. He groaned in frustration.

Crow frowned. "Hey, you were bursting in here just a minute ago! What's it to you if I do the same thing?"

"At least I didn't scare anybody! You were breaking my concentration! I was just about to tell Yusei about _that_," Jack retorted, balling his hand into a fist.

"Not while I'm gone, you're not!"

They were almost at blows, stealing away Yusei's peaceful time alone. At least he had fit in some time for himself. As much as he loved his friends, Jack and Crow were a little too energetic even after a long day.

"Hey… guys," Yusei ventured, causing the two to cease their bickering, albeit still with their hands at each other's necks. "What is it you wanted to tell me?" He was worried it was bad news. The other two duelists released each other and snapped their focus back to Yusei.

Crow volunteered his knowledge first. "There's going to be a duel tournament in a few weeks in Neo Domino City! I heard duelists from all over the country are gonna come. It'll be awesome."

Jack crossed his arms. "We just thought you would like to know," he said coolly.

"Oh… a tournament?" For a brief moment, Yusei's eyes sparkled, though he made no other change in expression. He had never successfully entered a tournament for pure enjoyment before. His featured darkened as he remembered the other ones he had entered. He was always focused on a select group of people for every competition he participated in. For his initial venture into Neo Domino City, he had chased tirelessly after Jack. At the WRGP, he and his friends joined to enjoy the exciting riding duels, but ended up embroiled in a gigantic and complicated plot to destroy the entire city. This newly mentioned tournament seemed almost as mundane and worthless as the first without any sort of ulterior motive in mind. Besides, Yusei had no need for more titles.

Seeing the lack of excitement in Yusei's expression, Crow tried again. "Come on, Yusei, it'll be so cool. We might meet some really talented duelists in this tournament. It'll be huge. Sounds like a good deal, eh?" He casually put an arm around the dark-haired duelist. "So are you gonna join?"

"It's not like I'm joining or anything," Jack said, looking away.

Yusei thought for a minute, looking from the tall, imposing figure in white to the grinning, marked face next to him. Surprisingly enough, these two had agreed on something. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to enter another tournament. "Okay," he said quietly, hoping he wouldn't regret this later.

That very night, Yusei found himself sitting at the edge of a tall building, gazing at the lights rooftops of Neo Domino City pensively. He had his Stardust Dragon card in his hand. Somehow looking at it cleared all the apprehension tugging at his mind.

A crackling noise made his heart do somersaults within his chest. He turned quickly to see a flash of silver hair before he teetered on the edge of the building. The figure before him grabbed his shoulder to steady him, then sat down purposely next to him, lanky legs dangling over the vast concrete expanse below. A throaty chuckle melted into the cool air. "You have too much time on your hands, Yusei."

"Hello, Kiryu," Yusei said, obviously displeasing the taller man with his two-word answer.

"What are you doing all alone up here, anyway?" Kiryu asked. He was rubbing his harmonica gently between his slender fingers.

Yusei placed his precious Stardust back into his deck. "Just… thinking."

"You think too much. Sometimes you gotta take action, you know?"

Yusei said nothing. It was just like Kiryu to say something like that, though he was glad the former leader of Team Satisfaction had recovered his senses from the last few times they had met. Kiryu lifted his harmonica to his lips and began to play that same mournful piece that had reached Yusei's ears as soon as he encountered his best friend at Crashtown. The minor notes had a new life to them as they spiraled into the brisk night air.

"Say…" Kiryu said, his voice making the same quiet music as his harmonica did a few moments ago. "Good luck at the tournament."

Yusei was taken aback for a second, but figured Jack or Crow had leaked that information to Kiryu. After all, he deserved to know. "Thanks." He smiled reassuringly at his best friend and returned his gaze to the cityscape before them. In just a few weeks, he would be out there in that huge stadium once more, dueling against a plethora of interesting duelists. With a nod and a smile to Kiryu, he stood up and placed a hand on his deck, imbuing them with his will. The rusty feeling of excitement stretched its legs and awoke within Yusei, reflected on the brighter lights of the city, the crisper wind which carried scents of new beginnings, and the fateful red glow of the sun peeking up over the horizon.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Uhhh, sorry this chapter might feel a bit short and rushed, I never liked the tournament arcs in any of the YGO series, and it really shows through in the way I just sorta skipped over huge parts of it. Jaden appears. Wh-yay!_

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><p>It was simple, fulfilling, and wonderful. The satisfying sound of the foil ripping, the care and conscientiousness put toward breaking the seal, the overpowering smell of new, flat, fresh cards. Yusei gazed with care at the candidates he held in his hand. The most important part of dueling, he felt, was to choose cards that would work harmoniously with one's own deck. A bunch of powerful cards did no good. This said, the Satellite duelist studied each card with care, even placing a few in his deck. They could come in handy, since he had no idea what to expect in this dueling tournament.<p>

The stadium overflowed with stimuli. Sunlight attacked Yusei's eyes, forcing him to raise an arm to shield himself. People spilled onto the aisles of the immense elliptical stands. The screaming from the writhing mass increased to deafening proportions as he appeared, face expressionless, body calm and relaxed.

For a tender moment the shouting died down as the MC announced several other participants, each accompanied by various amounts of whistling and calling. Any appeared, some tall, some short, some men, some women; people from everywhere around the country had gathered in Neo Domino City to duel. The roar soared to a climax as the final duelist appeared. Curious to survey his opponents, Yusei turned his eyes to this individual. What he saw made him even more curious. It was a boy about his age, dressed in an eye-catching red jacket and topped with scruffy caramel hair. He beamed happily, as if he couldn't be more excited than to be in this tournament. He reminded Yusei of Crow in the way he energetically carried himself. He didn't exactly look like the greatest duelist, but of all people, Yusei understood the best that looks can be deceiving.

Each of his opponents was grateful for this benefit of the doubt. The Satellite duelist faced everyone indiscriminately and fairly, whether that person mocked him, shivered, or was ambivalent in his influential presence. Stardust Dragon and Junk Warrior continued to serve him well, and he ended each successive win with a small smile, a nod of the head, and a simple "Good game."

He continued to win up through the ranks until he heard the MC scream, "Our defending champion, Yusei Fudo!" He looked up blearily at the announcement screen. Was it the final duel already? Perhaps he was enjoying himself too much, or too little. He couldn't decide. Mechanically, he strode to his place in the center of the stadium, awaiting his opponent. How odd that the MC decided to introduce the champion first.

"And now come our challenger, J—" The booming voice was awash in screams from the crowd, and Yusei glanced over in surprise at the small figure opposite him. That familiar red jacket, brown hair, white pants: he had seen it all before. This boy was still overflowing with confidence, and had gained the credibility of the mass of people surrounded them. Yusei truly wondered what sort of deck he could have.

The duel commenced as usual, both players sending out opening monsters. Speed Warrior firmly in front of him, Yusei studied the monsters his opponent was sending out. All of them were quite unfamiliar; each one had a sort of color associated with it and looked like a humanoid character out of a comic book, not unlike Yusei's own Junk Warrior. He couldn't possibly be prepared for that, but then, perhaps, that was the point of believing in one's own cards.

A blast hit him and he heard the heart-pumping sound of life points dropping. This boy was talented. Yusei felt an unknown will seep forth from the recesses of his brain, warming up the machinery of his body, inciting an organic movement toward his cards. He was actually having fun.

In a rush of euphoria, Yusei summoned a tuner monster and special summoned two others from his hand and graveyard. It was time for Stardust to show itself. The boy in red made a surprised noise, and his expression was that of wonder and amazement, almost as if he had never seen a synchro summon before. The white dragon appeared from the sky, true to its name as light bounced off its scales and formed a glorious and blinding glow around its body. The crowd erupted in cheers as they saw the familiar symbol of their favorite duelist come to life in the city's afternoon glow.

To Yusei's surprise, his opponent grinned widely. The boy played Fusion Gate. The duel was now at a climax, and both duelists were fighting to keep whatever small number of life points they had. It was "the ultimate duel between synchro and fusion", as the MC dared to call it. Yusei's opponent looked on confidently as he summoned yet another unfamiliar monster, this one an amalgam of ones he had summoned before.

A fiery glow surged through Yusei's body, and he drew his next card. As he took a good look at it, his lips curved into a smile. It was one of the cards he had put into his deck this morning. How auspicious that it had come to his hand now. The spirit of dueling moved his arms as he placed the card in his duel disk, playing it, channeling it, becoming one with it. He was flooded with overwhelming excitement and emotion as, finally, he saw his opponent's life points drop to zero.

Cheers, the booming voice, his friends' calls; these all melted away as his opponent rushed toward him and grabbed his right hand in a firm handshake. In a voice that sounded older than Yusei expected, the boy said, "Wow, you had some sweet moves! I'm Jaden Yuki, nice to meet you!"

"I'm Yusei Fudo," the Satellite duelist said politely, shaking the other boy's hand.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I'm quite proud of this new chapter, and I hope you lovely starshippers out there enjoy it. This chapter is dedicated to Ana and Cindy, who both inspired me to write a lot more of this fic than I had originally planned._

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><p>Yusei wasn't quite sure how this happened. He was back at his place, sure. His D-wheel was there in perfectly good shape. Nobody was home, of course. The windows brought in fresh orange light. The boy in the red jacket—wait. The boy in the red jacket was the only thing tearing the fabric of Yusei's peaceful existence. His flashy presence was a scar on the graceful period of time Yusei relished so much. And still the Satellite duelist had let him inside his amber sanctuary. He was still deciding, perhaps too late, whether or not this was a good idea.<p>

The boy who had introduced himself as Jaden was ecstatically hovering over the bright red machine in the middle of the room. Every minute, he changed positions and was in front, behind, even underneath the contraption. "And you play Duel Monsters on this?" he asked eagerly. His curious fingers left snowy circular marks on the shiny cherry surface. Every time Jaden whipped to a different viewpoint, Yusei saw his precious D-wheel teeter dangerously. The brown-haired boy seemed too excitable to care.

Startled, Yusei noticed a pair of big brown eyes staring straight at him. He could feel the other boy's breath on his face and he knew this might have been a little _too_ close for his taste. "Yes… I play Duel Monsters while riding it."

"Whoa, that's sweet! I gotta try this sometime!" Jaden bounded back to the D-wheel and to Yusei's surprise actually climbed up onto the seat, sporting a happy grin which reminded Yusei of Leo when the small boy won duels at school. Though nervous, the mechanic decided to let the boy sit on the machine for a while. For all Yusei knew, Jaden couldn't do any more harm to it than he himself had done over the years.

A hand hit his shoulder with a loud clap. "Hey man, why so quiet? Cat got your tongue?" The boy let out a small chuckle. Yusei said nothing. He was in a pensive mood at the moment, and words were unnecessary at this point. Besides, he didn't feel like sharing anything with Jaden; the boy seemed a little superficial.

To his surprise, Jaden sat next to him by the window. "Come on, pal! Go ahead, we're friends, right?" Yusei gave the red-clad boy a stare. He had used the word "friend" so loosely; the two of them had only known each other for a few days, and besides, it was Jaden's idea to visit Yusei's place to see his precious Yusei Go. It almost seemed to the Satellite duelist that the newcomer was interested in invading his deepest thoughts, as if inviting himself over wasn't enough.

Yusei remained silent and looked out at the waning sunlight. He didn't have time to enjoy it today, which frustrated him a little. Or a lot.

"Uhh… hey, if I'm bothering you, I can go. No big deal!"

Yusei returned his gaze to the brown-haired duelist next to him. "Do you ever just sit and watch the sunset?"

"Me?" Jaden pointed to himself. "Ah, you know, it's nice and all, but I got other things on my mind! Like dueling!"

"The sunset…" Yusei began.

"What about it?"

"The sunset is very… important to me. It's a time when everything begins to slow down, and no one's home. The strange light cast on everything helps me think. And that's what I usually do on my free evenings. It's quite a unique environment." Yusei sighed. "I apologize. I'm not used to having guests over at this time of day."

"No I understand, man, it's cool! I mean, wow, I never thought of the sunset like that before! I just thought it was nice to look at." Jaden laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

Surprised, Yusei glanced over at the brown-haired boy beside him. He obviously seemed to want to learn, not just about dueling, but he was actually interested in what Yusei had to say in general. He had leaned forward, his luminous brown eyes glowing ever so slightly with wonder. And Yusei found himself studying the boy's delicate face, wondering as to how Jaden could look so ruffled and so soft at the same time. It was a ridiculous and raw dichotomy which existed in very few people, and Jaden embodied it, tender and rough at the same time. And because he had this quality about him, his mind was mutable, and he easily lapped up whatever wisdom Yusei had to impart.

For several days, Jaden visited the Satellite duelist's abode. Eventually, he wasn't just admiring the bright red D-wheel, he was riding in the back seat of it. Yusei drove the both of them to a lot of different places around the city, even for a brief visit in the parts of Satellite that used to be the property of the legendary Team Satisfaction itself. The smaller boy took it all in excitedly, brown eyes shining like orbs, reflecting the splendor of the city. At times, his mess of hair would blow into his face, and he would have to fight with it to keep it from plastering itself over his eyes. This would incite a throaty chuckle from the driver, and the both of them would share a moment of laughter while zooming across the highways of Neo Domino City.

"Hey Yusei," the boy had said once. "Which card do you think is the most important to you?"

Yusei gave him a small smile. "Every card is important, Jaden. I value every single one that I've put in my deck."

"Really? So even the weakest of the weak is still good?" Jaden took a look at the cards splayed out in front of him, carefully looking over each one, as Yusei had suggested he should do.

"I built my deck in order to support the weaker monsters with monster effect combos," Yusei said, holding out his deck. "Take a look."

"Aw man, it's the deck I keep losing to!"

"Well then you could learn something from it, Jaden."

The boy took the deck and flipped through it. "Every card is important… huh." He handed the deck back and examined the cards laid around him in more detail. Grinning, he picked some out that he thought would go perfect in his deck.

"A hero deck?" Yusei said when Jaden had introduced the cards he owned. "I've never heard of it before." But it seemed fitting for Jaden, who constantly wanted to grow and get stronger, and, like a hero, was beginning to understand what it meant to have a special power: the power of dueling.

But Jaden wasn't the only one learning. Sometimes the smaller boy would slap Yusei on the arm, saying "Loosen up, man!" and the Signer would smile, each time more widely than before. Jaden's easygoing nature reminded Yusei of their very first duel, when he had let himself forget about the stakes and strategy of dueling and let instinct guide him. The brown-haired boy assured him that dueling that way was fun. As long as he had talent, instinct, and good cards, he could win against anyone. "Except Yusei," he had added, grinning.

It was at the end of one such day that Yusei took Jaden back home with him as always to sit and enjoy the warm orange glow of the setting sun. The red-clad boy had grown fond of these quiet moments, and often the two of them would sit together and look out the window, watching people pass by and listening to the distant sounds of cars and motorcycles crossing the bridges connecting the city to its satellite.

"Hey Yusei…" Jaden began as usual, but he sounded more exhausted than normal. It had been a fairly long day, as Yusei had told him to get up early so they could go see one of the farther sections of the city. Thus, the boy placed his scruffy brown head on Yusei's shoulder.

"You know, pal... I've had a lot of fun these past few weeks."

"So have I." Yusei averted his gaze. "But don't you have somewhere you need to get back to?"

Jaden blinked. "Yeah, I guess. But I don't really wanna go back now."

"Why not? Surely people there are waiting for you?"

"Not… really."

"No? That's strange. You seem like you would make friends easily."

Two big brown eyes gazed up at Yusei's own blue ones, and they were filled to the brim with some unearthly sadness which Yusei had never seen before. The boy didn't seem like he could bring himself to speak.

A heat shot through Yusei's arm, moving it around Jaden's shoulders, bringing the boy closer. His mind and logic laid to rest, Yusei let his intuition take over. Those sad eyes didn't belong with Jaden. And before the smaller boy could say anything, a pair of soft lips had pressed against his own.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** Sorry if this chapter seems sorta disconnected, but it took me forever to write this. Hello 4 am finish time~ A lot of this is an amalgam of rping I've done in the past few months with a friend of mine. Enjoy!_

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><p>"Wh-what are you doing?"<p>

The expressive brown eyes were staring straight at him, shocked. Yusei parted his lips for a moment as if to speak, but thought better of it, and the awkward silence settled in as Jaden's face got redder and redder.

"I… thought it would help," was the only thing Yusei could muster, and though it seemed to him to be a feeble attempt to justify himself, it was the truth. He could only sit there, calm as he could, while waiting uncertainly for Jaden's reaction. It was maddening, and the blood in his body was speeding toward his head.

As though likewise unsure of himself, Jaden broke his gaze and clutched his shirt, sitting stiffly. "I-it did help!" he said uncomfortably. "I just…"

Yusei waited as patiently as he could while the boy opposite him muttered things about how surprised he was, how he couldn't understand what was going on, and something about first times. The dark-haired duelist felt an impulse shoot up through his chest at these last words and, looking away and blushing madly, he admitted, "It was my first time too," in a simple effort to alleviate Jaden's discomfort.

Instead the boy's flustered state intensified twofold and he insisted on some sort of misunderstanding, but by this point Yusei's powerful skills of listening and understanding had shorted out, and he was working on the simple guidance of his intuition. His feverish mind lingered on one thing and one thing alone: that moment, of how full and satisfying those constantly smiling lips of Jaden's were. For once, Yusei wanted to throw himself completely and wholeheartedly into something that wasn't Duel Monsters, just for another chance to stop Jaden's nervous habit of sucking on his petal-soft lips when he was nervous or sad, to press his own dry lips to that warm pair again. But he had to make sure he wouldn't scare the poor boy.

"Jaden… could I ask you something?" He began, swallowing his growing feeling of anxiety. Jaden nodded vigorously and his caramel tresses flew wildly, his energy causing a tiny bit of Yusei's nervousness to leave him.

The dark-haired duelist smiled and asked, almost boldly, "Could I have your permission to try again?"

He hardly heard the boy's consent before he had his lips on the other's again, and this time it wasn't a mixture of pity and care, it was a newfound desire which flowed through Yusei's veins through his brain, his fingers, and all the way down to very tips of his toes. He was almost glowing with heat, an organic mechanism guiding his arms around Jaden and pulling the brown-haired boy practically into his lap.

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><p>Their lives passed liked honey, more sickeningly sweet than anything. Jack and Crow made it a point to be around even less often, whereas Jaden came three or four times every day, as if his schedule at Yusei's place was in an inverse relationship with the others'. Yusei didn't mind. He found himself grinning even more widely than he used to, and oftentimes he'd find himself sore from the sudden use of those previously underused muscles in his face. His productivity levels increased midday, if only to compensate for the time he whiled away in the company of his new companion in the comforting glow of dusk.<p>

On certain days, they'd go out and enjoy the scenery or visit Yusei's friends. Jaden became fast friends with the twins, who took advantage of his excitability to get him to play games with them. Luca would give him little origami trinkets made out of old pieces of homework, which she gave to everybody because she had a mountain of them as a result of her newfound hobby. Lua, on the other hand, would beg to see Jaden's Elemental Hero deck and, once he had his hands on it, ogle at the various bright and colorful figures. It was obvious that the green-haired boy was impressed, because every time Jaden would return to the lower school to visit, he would be swamped by all of Lua's bright-eyed friends, all of them raving about how amazing his deck must be and how he could probably could've won the championship against Yusei and how he should try a riding duel sometime and other things that flew over Jaden's head.

In almost direct contrast to the rowdiness and noise of the kids, Yusei's other friend Aki was extremely distant with Jaden. She was the only one to whom Yusei had not introduced the brunette by his side as his "boyfriend", and she was the only one besides Jack who decidedly paid little notice to her friend's significant other. Occasionally, she'd give Jaden a look sharp enough to wither all the plants in her deck, then turn away as if he had never existed.

But even Aki cracked under Jaden's unbreakable good humor, and soon enough he had the girl smiling and even laughing at his antics. He asked her all about her experiences of learning to ride a D-wheel, and she gladly told him everything she learned, though the physics went in one ear and out the other.

"And one time Yusei was teaching me how to ride, and he drove backwards on his D-wheel! It was amazing," the new riding duelist said one day when Yusei was out salvaging for materials.

"Whoa, that's sweet!" Jaden eyes were sparkling. "Where can I get me one of these D-wheels?"

And so Aki told him all about D-wheel licenses, training, and testing. The brunette hung his head. "Aw man, that means more _school_." He wrapped his Slifer jacket more tightly around himself and pouted.

"If you'd like, Jaden, I could teach you…" A low voice interjected, and a very dusty and tired Yusei approached the two of them. Clouds of dirt flew off him as Jaden hugged him excitedly.

"Wow, thanks, Yusei!" the Slifer exclaimed, laughing.

Somehow, days later, Jaden managed to stay upright on a rental D-wheel while the constantly anxious Yusei drifted behind him. The turns were the hardest, as the Slifer hadn't quite yet mastered the concept of reducing his speed when turning and he ended up skidding and flying off his vehicle as his companion screamed his name, but the voice was so far and faint as Jaden rocketed toward the concrete.

When Yusei ran frantically up to where he lay, he was astonished to find Jaden lying on his back, a gigantic grin on his face. It seemed Jaden's immense luck applied to more than just dueling.

The Slifer laughed heartily. "That was awesome!"

"A-are you alright?"

"I may have a few bruises, but that's nothing." Jaden helped himself up and brushed himself off in front the shocked and flustered Yusei. He moved his limbs, checking them. "My wrist does kinda hurt…"

And hence he was dragged straight to Martha's, where it was confirmed that he had a sprained wrist and had to keep it bandaged and rested for a few weeks. Unfortunately, Jaden's luck seemed to backfire just a tiny bit, as this wrist was his right hand and thus he was limited in its movement. He could barely draw or hold a hand of cards without it pulsing with a dull pain. Yusei had to do ridiculous things for him, such as dress him in the morning (though his several attempts at pulling on his pants were entertaining to say the least). Sometimes he felt like Jaden was exaggerating his pain just a tiny bit, as was usually revealed as the truth when he caught his boyfriend digging – with both hands – through the fridge for last night's leftover Chinese takeout. It took Yusei a bit of time to get used to the extra burden of taking care of Jaden's daily needs, and even longer to get used to being an integral part of every personal need the Slifer had.

Being forced so close to the boy had its advantages. Yusei felt his comfort level around Jaden rise with every day. Soon he felt comfortable enough to give the unwitting boy a kiss, a hug, a cuddle whilst carefully avoiding the injured wrist. It was enough for him to look down into the younger duelist's bright brown eyes, watch the caramel strands splay out on the bedding, feel Jaden's warmth underneath his body. It would be dark and silent, the only noise escaping from Yusei's lips as he breathed three words into the boy's ear which made his entire body flush with pleasure and brought his lips up to the other's in a wordless agreement, a contract of heart, so as when Yusei woke before his lover the next day, he would spend a good few minutes gazing fondly at the adorable sleeping face and wonder at his good fortune. When Jaden awoke several hours later, he would spot the mechanic next to him checking the D-wheel stats and programs on his laptop, all the while waiting for the Slifer to finish his beauty sleep. Jaden would only smile widely at this fact and with a healthy blush remember the night before. Then he would decide that, if anything, Yusei needed a reply.

"I love you too."

But those words caught in his throat and choked him.

"Jaden?"

Then darkness. And a female-sounding voice. Claws. A sinister hiss.

_You're mine_.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So I sort of had a mid-life crisis EXCEPT it was a mid-fic crisis and I changed up my view of Jaden completely. When I started Amber, I was about halfway through season 1 of GX. Now I'm halfway through season 4, and, obviously, Jaden's grown a LOT over that span of episodes, so I guess I'm incorporating a little bit of that responsibility here? I dunno.

Anyway readers, thanks for sticking with this fic through its ugly parts while I try to figure things out. /sigh.

Also this chapter is sort of depressing, sorry about that ;~;

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><p>Jaden couldn't feel ground underneath him, but there was no gut-wrenching, otherworldly feeling of gravity pulling down on him either. He was floating in what seemed to be endless, lonely space, every direction as black as it could be, so black he couldn't see his own hands. Worried, he clasped them together to check that they were still there.<p>

_Do you remember this place?_

His bright brown eyes softened at the voice. Yes, he did remember this place, this dark and lonely dimension in which he spent what seemed both a nanosecond and an eternity, floating, timeless, sentient. He was back again, his sense of time and space just as nonexistent as the last time he visited. The only thing reminding him of his own existence was, of course, the quiet voice within him.

"Yes… Yubel. I do. Why did you take me here again?"

Yubel said nothing, but Jaden could feel her discomfort.

"Hey, Yubel."

_Yes?_

"What did you mean when you said, 'You're mine'?"

Again, the spirit said nothing, but again, the tension Jaden could feel welling up in Yubel was reaching overwhelming levels.

"You're not…?"

_Not what?_

Jaden let out a sigh which was absorbed into the darkness. "Never mind." He could do nothing in this dimension but think, and he felt the old pain and fear creep back into his consciousness.

_Jaden,_ Yubel ventured, _have you ever thought that perhaps you were brought to this time for a purpose?_

"A… purpose?"

_Remember how you came to be in Neo Domino City._ The spirit brought forth a familiar sensation buried deep within Jaden's mind, and suddenly his memories were flooding and echoing with the primal cry of an enormous beast. For a moment, the darkness gave way to almost blinding scarlet splendor, and, just as suddenly, it faded back to nothingness.

"The Crimson Dragon…" he murmured. "Alright, Yubel. I understand."

_Then you understand what you must do._

He nodded, an overwhelming anxiety clenching his throat, making him barely able to talk.

"Yeah. Now let's get out of here."

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><p><em>Click, click<em>, went the keys of Yusei's keyboard. The amber light of the setting sun shone coldly into the workshop. Yusei furrowed his brow, staring at his search results. There had to be something in there that could help him understand what was going on.

On that fateful morning, Yusei had looked over at the brunette next to him, cradled cutely in the simple white sheets, and the boy had looked back at him, his mouth almost quivering with the desire to say something. But then he blinked, and he almost hated himself for doing so, because when he opened his eyes a fraction of a second later, his lover was gone. The white sheets hovered in the air for a precious second in the shape of where Jaden might have been, but the fabric rested on the bed with a sigh and erased the rest of his existence from Yusei's life; that is, except for the iconic red jacket still lying in a pile on the floor.

The Satellite duelist clung to it as if he was afraid his memories of Jaden would fade without it. It also served as encouragement as he fruitlessly searched for a similar case to Jaden's, shamelessly using his hacking abilities to tap into official databases. He could feel the despair creep up on him little by little as his numerous attempts came short of the answer. Almost as if the sky was tuned to his thoughts, the orange workshop was suddenly awash in shadow.

Mildly surprised at the sudden darkening of the room, Yusei looked out the window and gasped. Soaring at an inhuman speed through the sky was a small meteor, blazing with red fire, tearing a hole through the peaceful night atmosphere. It was close enough that Yusei could tell it was headed for Satellite, and without any hesitation, he jumped on his trusty D-wheel and zoomed off into the silence.

He never stopped until he reached a small clearing amid piles of junk that, although already broken into pieces, were decimated nearly into dust by the impact of solid space rock hitting the earth's crust. Yusei was shocked at the immense crater left in its wake, but there was no sign of cosmic debris anywhere, as if the rock itself decided to vanish after having its turn to mar the surface of earth. Cautiously, the duelist stepped into the hemispherical depression.

There he was, the person Yusei knew in his gut was there waiting for him, curled in a fetal position and fast asleep, as if soaring through the sky was nothing to him, or the chill of the approaching night air remained unfelt on his bare shoulders. The dark-haired duelist smiled, his heart light as his footsteps as he returned to his D-wheel to retrieve the garment he had ready, as if he had known all along whom he would meet. He placed the cherry red jacket on the sleeping boy in the crater, and it was only then that he stirred, and his familiar brown eyes met Yusei's blue ones.

"Jaden…" Yusei breathed, unable to contain his excitement.

"Mm?" Jaden sat up, the jacket sliding off his shoulders. He was greeted by a pair of strong arms wrapping around him, and for a moment the two of them sat there, slightly energized from the delight of seeing one another again.

Yusei felt Jaden fidget, small hands on his shoulders, and suddenly he was on the ground, looking up at a pair of shiny eyes, the same eyes he had seen that day he decided to kiss Jaden and begin their lives together. And his heart clenched at seeing them again, filled to the brim with an incredible sadness. The colors of Jaden's irises wavered, they were no longer brown, but different hues altogether. The boy was shaking uncontrollably. Yusei could do nothing as he helplessly watched Jaden force back a heavy, broken sob, turn on his heel, and run away.

He was gone again. Yusei sat there where he had fallen for a good few minutes, stupefied at the boy's actions. He finally got up and brushed himself off. Something must have happened to Jaden in the few days he had gone missing, he thought, as if falling from the sky in a meteor wasn't traumatic enough. Whatever it was, Yusei wasn't about to lose Jaden again, especially not willingly, so he trusted his D-wheel to take him to his lover once again.

* * *

><p>Satellite. It was Yusei's ancient and broken hometown, a place of friendship and loyalty, of sorrow and anguish, and every piece of discarded junk held in it the history of Yusei himself. It had been cleaned up somewhat since Satellite was finally connected to Neo Domino City, but it still held an air of poverty and filth that years had built up and only years could undo.<p>

Adding to the desperation this place seemed to exude, it was easy for newcomers to get lost among the broken structures. Yusei was fairly confident that he could find Jaden, as he was most likely wandering around the winding gray alleys in a bright red jacket, an easy target for someone so familiar with Satellite. The native on his D-wheel searched the places near the meteor landing and slowly worked outward.

The sky had turned a light tint of blue by the time Yusei had given up. He had managed to choke down the worry that had begun eating away at his sanity, but his defense against it was gradually waning, and he let his mind wander to darker thoughts. The memory of Jaden's hurt face left a wound still fresh, those multicolored eyes striking… not quite terror, but certainly some sort of fear lodged deep within Yusei. He thought he had understood Jaden, thought he had his lover so closely bound by their shared secrets and space that they couldn't possibly be torn apart; he had practically bared his soul to the boy and he realized he still didn't know much about Jaden or his past. The only thing Yusei had left unsaid was that incident that brought him nightmares every night, of those buildings being stripped off their foundations, the dark sky wrought with disaster… and his father. Certainly, with all his energy, Jaden couldn't have something so terrible weighing him down.

Or perhaps he did. Yusei understood so little, and it frustrated him so much his eyes welled up with hot tears.

* * *

><p>A water droplet dripped down the side of a broken beam and fell off the jagged edge, ending its journey with a freezing splash on a mat of caramel-colored hair.<p>

"Agh!"

_Shh! Keep your voice down, or this isn't going to work._

Jaden nodded, heart beating faster as he heard footsteps approaching the dark ruins of the house in which had chosen to hide himself. The crackle of boots on broken glass became louder, and Jaden shrunk into a corner away from the noise.

"Yubel, this isn't—"

_Jaden, I told you to be quiet. I'll protect you from being seen._

The boy bit his lip and crawled into the shroud of shadows Yubel had made for him as he waited for the footsteps to die away. At the same time, he was curious as to who those feet belonged to. Leaning forward a little, he was able to make out brown boots, some dark jeans… a blue jacket. It was Yusei.

Jaden choked down a lump in his throat and retreated into the shroud until he heard the slowly dying hum of a D-wheel taking off in the other direction. It had been several hours since he last saw Yusei's face, awash in shock as Jaden turned to run wildly away, not quite sure which direction he was going, throwing caution to the wind and trusting Yubel to guide him through Satellite. And he had ended up here in this desolate shelter in the dead of night, wondering if it was going to rain. The only thing that made his situation more miserable was the knowledge that Yusei was still out there, searching for who knows how long when he had come so close, only to fail at his chance.

_Jaden,_ Yubel said. _It's for the best that he didn't find you._

Jaden hugged his knees to his chest in response. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

_Very sure._

Sighing, Jaden looked at the red Slifer jacket, which was still in his hand, despite the chill of midnight biting at his bare arms. His memory left him faded pictures of his awakening earlier; his jacket was draped over him like a blanket, and Yusei was sitting next to him, smiling. Jaden placed the garment over his shoulders once more, and leaned his head forward onto his knees. He kept wondering why Yusei had kept his jacket safe for him, or why he had bothered to spend all night looking for him; any other person would have just given up if their lover ran away. Despair began to creep up into his mind, convincing him that he wasn't worth the effort, the affection, the care.

He had left Yusei by choice, left the Satellite duelist sitting in the dirt with unspeakable pain reflected in his deep blue eyes.

The boy sighed, defeated, and fell into a fitful sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** AN UPDATE? ON AMBER? oh my gosh, I bet none of you saw that coming. lol. Well. This chapter took me a long time to write because I am absolutely sucky at dialogue. HOWEVER. I hope you all enjoy it. I enjoy getting reviews, favorites, subscriptions, etc. so thank you all for those! This chapter is also dedicated to Ana as an extremely late birthday present OTL

Anyway, shaky dialogue and characterization galore, but I do hope you like c':

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><p>Dust flew up with every step, every faint gasp of the wind, every breath. Dust was prevalent here, and it was impossible to walk about without getting one's shoes turned a completely different color under a thick layer of orange dirt. It flew up into Jaden's eyes and nose and coated his throat, making him cough violently every so often, lungs burning. He wasn't quite sure how long he had been walking, but the slow passing of the sun belied the feeling that it seemed like days and days since he had left behind the multicolored lights of Neo Domino City. He mentally slapped himself for not bringing along water.<p>

The thought of water brought him back to his times watching Yusei hard at work on the D-wheel, and the mechanic would ask Jaden to fetch him his water bottle every so often. The Slifer would gladly bounce over to the shiny silver canister and throw it over, Yusei always catching with the precision of a riding duelist. Then Jaden would pull up a stool and ask the dark-haired duelist all sorts of questions about the functionality of a D-wheel. It wasn't that he wanted to build one himself, really, but that he wanted to learn everything he could about Yusei. At the same time, it excited him when Yusei would talk slowly and sincerely about the machine, a fire in his eyes and a small hint of a smile on his face, both of which caused Jaden to laugh heartily and Yusei's expression to soften considerably. He could feel his heart beating more quickly as those pretty ocean-blue eyes turned their focus on him, and he could see the tenderness present in them, so much so that he would blush madly and look away. There would be a pair of strong, warm hands around his face and up in his caramel locks, turning his gaze back to meet that pair of sapphire irises, the last thing he saw before he let his eyelids close gently around his eyes and leaned closer-

Jaden hung his head low, flecks of dust sliding down his unwashed mat of hair. He was determined to convince himself that those little things were all in the past; he had to focus on the people and spirits who still needed his help. And he would find them, no matter how far he had to walk. Yubel would protect him.

He dragged one tired, heavy foot forward and in his exhaustion failed to position his weight correctly, wobbled, and fell on his knees. He needed water and shelter, but by then the dry, rocky ground seemed like a reasonably soft feather mattress to his aching limbs. His brain laid itself to rest as the echoes of Yubel's distress faded into near-silence, only small, faint snippets of her screaming "Ja—" reaching his senses. As much as she was a guardian, Yubel was only a spirit and could do little for Jaden's physical needs.

Jaden wasn't sure how long he'd laid there under the hot sun, his face in the dirt, but as he was about to lose consciousness, he felt a vibration through the ground that caused him to look up. He'd spent enough time with Yusei to recognize the accompanying sound as well: this was a D-wheel. The dark machine slowed and stopped next to him, and he could see a pair of feet from where he lay. The stranger's arms were already around him before he could get a good glimpse of the face.

The ride was neither long nor short, but it was much farther than Jaden ever imagined he could walk. At opportune moments he would chance a look at his captor and catch glimpses of pretty silvery hair waving wildly from where it was not pinned down by a helmet. He noticed he was being taken to some sort of desolate town in the middle of this dusty hell, a jumble of rickety wooden buildings and creaking signs, the sun shining on the roads in zebra-striped patterns through the loose boards in the walls.

The D-wheel stopped again in front of one such building, and Jaden felt himself being lifted again and taken inside. He hadn't the energy to resist, but at the same time, he could sense a sort of safety coming from this person gently holding him. He felt a bed underneath him and sighed with relief, and opened his eyes for a fraction of a second to see a pair of sharp golden ones staring back at him through a mess of silver hair, the last thing he saw before he let sleep take over his body.

* * *

><p>The blinds were completely shut. Gray dust collected in the corners of the screwdrivers, wrenches, and various other tools strewn across the floor of the workshop. Orange light peeped meekly past the sides of the window coverings, barely enough to allow anyone to see inside with just natural light alone. Sighing, Yusei ran a hand through his hair. He'd been spending a few hours configuring one tiny section of his D-wheel and hadn't made much progress. Realizing he was uncharacteristically spacey and unfocused, he laid his tool down and sat leaning on the wall near Yusei Go. It was frustrating, being unable to get things accomplished.<p>

Yusei reached for his water bottle and held it in his lap for a few moments, staring at it. He rubbed a thumb across its smooth metal surface, in which he could see his own face reflected; it was obviously worn with exhaustion and worry, quite different from the one he saw in it not too long ago as he'd take that same bottle from Jaden's feminine hands, their fingertips gently brushing against each other.

A trickle of heat worked itself into Yusei's head and he gripped the bottle tighter. Where could Jaden have possibly gone when he ran away? Was he still in Satellite? Did he… have food and water? Yusei put the full bottle next to him, too disturbed to drink from it.

At this moment, the door slammed open, and a searing wave of amber light washed the workshop in its angry gleam. The dark-haired duelist found himself shrinking farther into a corner, retreating from the twilight and the tall, imposing figure standing in the doorway.

"Are you still moping?" Jack said as he descended the steps of the workshop and looked around in consternation at the mess on the floor. He scoffed. "No sign of that boy anywhere."

Still looking anywhere but directly at Jack, Yusei asked, "Is Crow still looking?"

The blond shook his head. "He's stopping for the night. We've searched Satellite and most of Neo Domino. You'd think we'd have found him by now, with that obnoxious red jacket."

A shred of hope in the back of Yusei's mind died as he heard the news. "Isn't there some other way we can find him?"

"Maybe it's time you gave up on the kid," Jack sighed.

At these words, a pain shot through Yusei's heart. "I… can't do that, Jack."

The former king's eyes softened, a flash of understanding appearing on his face. "Maybe we could ask Kiryu to help."

"Really…?"

Jack nodded. "I'm not sure if he could have gone as far as Crash—Satisfaction Town, but if you care that much, it's worth a try."

A small hint of a smile was beginning to show on the dark-haired duelist's face. "Thank you, Jack."

The blond replied with a huff and said, "Do I have to drive all the way to talk to him?"

"No, you've already done a lot," Yusei said, as he picked up his tools again and leaned over his D-wheel. "It's my problem. I should be the one to go."

He heard another huff and a slamming of the door, and he was left in the steadily deepening darkness of the room. He sat there for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. With a sigh, he got up and opened the blinds, allowing in the last moments of the evening.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing up at this hour, kid?"<p>

Jaden's heart did somersaults as he stopped in his tracks and looked in the direction of the speaker. A silver-haired man was seated on the stairs by the doorway, a harmonica raised up to his mouth as if about to play until he was interrupted by the sensation of Jaden's presence. He brushed his shiny hair out of his face and took a look at the dark sky above, the stars incredibly visible in the rural atmosphere. Intrigued, Jaden also turned his eyes to the celestial display.

"There something bothering you? You're quieter than Yusei," the man said with a laugh.

"Y-you know Yusei?"

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?" A grin appeared on the man's face. "You sure do sound like you know him personally, though."

"I do… sort of."

Another laugh. "I know him, too. He's one of my good friends." He glanced over at Jaden, his golden eyes shimmering in the dim light of a nearby lantern. "Call me Kiryu."

Jaden smiled at this sudden introduction. "I'm Jaden Yuki!" he said, pointing a thumb at himself.

Kiryu nodded accordingly and asked in the most straightforward manner, "So, Jaden, why were you collapsed in the middle of the desert?"

"Eh?" the Slifer said, suddenly flustered. "I was… traveling… somewhere," he finished lamely.

"Without water? Seems like you were running away from something."

Jaden's eyes widened momentarily before he lowered his gaze to the ground, unable to answer.

"I hit the nail on the head, huh?" Kiryu patted the spot on the stairs next to him. "Hey. Come here, kid. Talk to me." He waited patiently as Jaden, slightly comforted at his conversational partner's connection to Yusei but still wary of his perceptiveness, sidled over and plopped himself on the step. "Tell me, Jaden, what's got you running?"

"Um… Kiryu…" Jaden began. The man's name felt strange on his tongue. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"I'm..." Jaden balled the end of his jacket into his fist. "I'm not actually from this time."

Kiryu blinked a few times and stared, confused, at the boy. "What?"

"I'm not from this time. I'm a time traveler. I was brought here by… something you refer to here as the Crimson Dragon." Jaden wasn't quite sure how or why this was spilling out now, but the words left him easily. "My home is in the past." There was something present in the way Kiryu looked at him and spoke to him that made him feel like it was alright to mention something he couldn't even believe fully himself.

"Does Yusei know?"

Struck dumb by these straightforward words, Jaden just shook his head.

"Is he who you're running away from?"

This time, he nodded, guilt pricking his mind.

"The hell are you doing running away from him?" Kiryu scoffed, but then his expression softened as he turned his gaze the dark desert expanse in front of them. "If you're his friend, you know he's just going to come looking for you…" A faint smile played on his lips, and he seemed to be seeing something other than the dust and cacti.

Jaden gulped. "I don't… want him to come after me. I've been spending too much time with him, and there are other spirits in this time that need my help."

"Spirits? There isn't anybody who needs help here anymore, thanks to Yusei."

"I don't know, then. It just makes more sense that I was brought to this time for some sort of purpose." Jaden was pretty sure Yubel hadn't lied to him. She was his guardian, after all.

"Hm… don't know what that would be," Kiryu said, narrowing his eyes. "But stop worrying about it, kid, there's no sense in wasting your energy over some destiny kinda thing. I stopped believing in that shit a while ago."

"I guess…"

"Hey, why don't we go inside and I'll make you a nice, hot cup of tea? Maybe relaxing a bit'll ease your mind."

Jaden looked up, surprised, but decided to accept the offer. He jumped up from his seat, took a last look at the stars, and turned toward the door.

Kiryu was about to follow him when both of them heard an unexpected hum of machinery and turned to look. Jaden squinted. In the dim light, he could only make out a dark and fuzzy silhouette in the distance.

It was only until it was too late, until the person on the red D-wheel pulled up and saw him and spoke his name in urgent tones, that he realized who it was.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Uuuu hey I've actually had IDEAS for this fic ;w; Also I'm not experienced at writing really intimate scenes, but you get a bit of that after so much angst. Ahaha. Enjoy~

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><p>From past experience, Jaden knew he wasn't the best at reading others' facial expressions. Sure, those little twitches at the corner of the mouth were obvious indications of mood, but when it came to someone like Yusei, who barely blinked when upset, Jaden was completely unable to detect the other's feelings. He stared and stared at Yusei's face as the dark-haired duelist dismounted his D-wheel, but those deep blue eyes remained so dark, so seemingly expressionless. As Yusei moved closer, reaching out a gloved hand in Jaden's direction, the boy instinctively cringed and backed up a step, both unsure and mildly afraid of Yusei's current emotions.<p>

With a riding duelist's reflexes, the D-wheeler managed to catch Jaden's wrist, the red fabric of the Slifer Red jacket crumpling under his firm grasp. Jaden's heart tripped, skipped a few beats, and crash landed as he felt Yusei's arms drag him into a warm, dusty embrace. The heady smell of motor oil and city air and just _Yusei_ filled up Jaden's senses and overflowed, clouding all of his thoughts. He closed his eyes. A tiny, heated feeling at the back of his mind was trying to get him away from this moment, to tear him away from Yusei a whole second time, to leave and never look back. He fidgeted a little, his arms remaining stiff by his sides. He couldn't make up his mind.

With perfect timing, almost as if he sensed this twitch of discomfort, Yusei placed a few fingers under Jaden's chin and turned his head to face him, Jaden's brown eyes wide in confusion for a minute before the unsaid words hanging in his mouth died in a faint whisper. Yusei's lips were dry and a little cracked, but their warmth was infectious. The nagging feeling in Jaden's mind shriveled and disappeared as he leaned into the kiss, his lips returning Yusei's tender and fluttery little movements. He would have wondered how he could have considered leaving this wonderful feeling behind forever, but at that moment he had decided none of those annoying thoughts were important. The way Yusei held him and kissed him and loved him was so strong, so steady. Yusei was the absence of worry. Yusei was safe.

His feet left the ground. As Yusei's strong arms supported his weight, Jaden latched his arms around his lover's neck, desire rearing its head in the pit of his stomach. Jaden could feel himself being carried through the door of the small wooden house; his eyes flickered open for a split second, and he promptly forgot about the astonished Kiryu he had caught in his peripheral vision.

Yusei's kisses were fuller, deeper, longer. Jaden's body quivered a little as it landed on the makeshift mattress, pinned down by the weight of the other duelist. Months of separation had amplified their desire and robbed them of speech. Yusei's touches were light, hesitant, telling of his worry and relief. Jaden's heart was near bursting. His movements were only responses to Yusei's wordless tales, and his labored breathing and intermittent smiles interrupting each kiss only indications of his joy. To his surprise, his lover released a small chuckle. To his even greater surprise, his own eyes grew shiny and his own vision blurry. Yusei completed him, filled him with heat, ecstasy… love.

* * *

><p>The intense desert sunlight shot through the window and penetrated Yusei's eyelids, waking him up from his slumber. He yawned, stretched, and surveyed his surroundings. His cerulean jacket and black shirt were strewn across the floor instead of hugging his torso as they usually were. Yusei pulled out of bed, slightly groggy and not at all himself. He was alone, shirtless, and hungry. At least one of these problems could be solved immediately, he thought, as he reached for the garments on the floor.<p>

A second problem of his was solved as he ventured into the kitchen and found his old friend Kiryu standing by the stove, combating Yusei's third and final problem with a frying pan and some eggs.

"So you're up."

Yusei scratched his head and nodded, working the last bit of sleep out of his eyes. He figured that if Jaden hadn't stepped out of the house for a bit, he'd be in here practically drooling and enjoying the delicious smells of Kiryu's home cooking. Yusei blinked. Where was Jaden anyway?

"Have you seen Jaden around today?"

"Nope," Kiryu replied without turning his head. He slapped a yellow mass of eggs and a piece of bacon on an old, cracked plate and shoved it on the table in front of Yusei.

Yusei sat down awkwardly. He could already feel a little discomfort in the air, which was odd for Kiryu so early in the morning. Both of them remained silent as Kiryu seated himself in the opposite chair. He ate without a word. Yusei simply watched him, concerned, his food untouched. It wasn't like Kiryu to be so quiet; usually he'd be the one to speak first and laugh the loudest, but the Kiryu sitting in front of him seemed to be a whole other person. Or perhaps, Yusei realized with a sinking feeling, his friend was upset with him in some way. "Kiryu…" he began, but he didn't receive any acknowledgement.

He politely cleaned his plate despite his sudden lack of appetite and took the plate to the sink of Kiryu's cramped kitchenette. Kiryu's own plate followed with a clink. "Kiryu, I…"

Without even a goodbye, Kiryu was out the door and gone. Yusei refused to remain alone with his anxious thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Yubel, where are these spirits that need help?"<p>

Jaden was on the move again, running through the dusty streets of Satisfaction Town, worried that he would attract attention or worse, be discovered by Yusei. He figured he couldn't get out of this town without a D-wheel, and he had to find one quickly and head off to Neo Domino as soon as possible. Kiryu had said there weren't any spirits here who needed saving, but Jaden was almost sure there would be some in the sprawling city. However, the key word was "almost". He was getting no response from Yubel's spirit, and it was starting to unsettle his currently vulnerable nerves.

He stopped and crouched in a narrow space between what seemed like a saloon and a shabby motel. "Is there something wrong, Yubel? You're not saying anything." He blinked as he finally heard the spirit stirring.

_I don't know, Jaden._

"I haven't seen any yet, not even in Neo Domino when I wasn't looking. Maybe they're all hiding? Have you sensed any nearby?"

_I haven't_.

He could feel Yubel becoming oddly uncomfortable again. Something was definitely off. "Really, is there something wrong? You've been acting strangely for a while now."

_Jaden. There's something I need to tell you._

"Well, what is—"

Their conversation was jarred as the sound of footsteps broke the eerie silence. Jaden squished himself further back into the narrow space and positioned himself behind a trash bin so he could see out the end. He wondered who could be running around this desolate part of town.

What he saw through the sliver of world in front of him was definitely not what he expected. Of all people, it was Kiryu who ran into sight, and he had the wild, desperate look of someone being chased. Even so, the silver-haired man decided to stop in his tracks and turn around, obviously ready to face whatever was pursuing him. Jaden, sensing danger, was about to leap out from behind the bin and offer his help, but the sight of that familiar blue and orange jacket stopped him cold.

Yusei had been chasing Kiryu. Now he was breathing the other man's name as if it was something precious, reaching out to him as if he had some excessive need that could only be satisfied with Kiryu's touch.

Kiryu let out a heavy sigh, took Yusei's hands, and brought the bewildered duelist so close that their noses were nearly touching, and Jaden bet Yusei could feel the other man's labored breath on his neck. "Yusei," Kiryu said, staring directly into the Yusei's alarmed cerulean eyes. He shuddered and leaned forward far enough to make Yusei's weight dependent on Kiryu's arms, which were now wrapped tightly around his waist. "All this time."

Jaden's heart seized up and stopped. All of Kiryu's silvery hair falling delicately around Yusei's face wasn't enough to conceal the fact that he had connected his lips with Yusei's in a rough and passionate kiss, enough to put the already vulnerable Satellite duelist into shock. Jaden sat looking around the trash bin, unable to take his eyes off the scene which seemed to last for an eternity and more and Yusei stood there, unmoving, receiving the kiss politely as Kiryu gave and gave.

Yusei gasped as they pulled apart, but he didn't move or try to wriggle free from Kiryu's embrace. "Kiryu" was the one word he managed to say.

"Yusei… I loved you all this time. Can't you see that?"

"I'm sorry."

Kiryu was indignant. "Don't you understand, Yusei? I saved you, died for you, and now I'm living _because_ of you!"

"Kiryu, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Yusei's eyes were already filling up with tears, the sight of which wrenched Jaden's caution from his mind.

He stepped out from behind the trash bin, shaking, but it was only until too late that he realized he didn't have anything to say. He didn't know anything about Yusei's relationship with Kiryu. His resolve cracked a little as he realized Yusei had probably kept this from him. It wasn't a betrayal so much as just a miscommunication, but the idea of this secret relationship cut into Jaden deeply, clawed at his mind, dug itself deep into his skull.

Yusei had finally turned and noticed Jaden standing up behind the trash bin, frozen in place, a horrified look disfiguring his features. Yusei's body fell backward as Kiryu's hold loosened considerably at the sight of the petrified brunette. He landed hard on the ground, the dust clouding up around his sturdy boots and trusty jacket and those hard-working gloves. He coughed. "Jaden," he said, looking incredibly exhausted.

The heat and pressure building in Jaden's chest was maddening. It was a blur; everything was a mess of colors and sounds and other sensations, but the only thing that really held his attention was this disgusting and unfamiliar feeling crushing his chest and weakening his legs. It wasn't adrenaline, and it wasn't anger. It wasn't sadness. It was some ridiculous sort of indignation that welled up inside him and irrationalized everything he saw until the entire ridiculous scene of Yusei rolling around in the dirt with Kiryu hovering over him melted into a frightening farce, as if the two duelists in front of him were actors on stage who had suddenly fallen out of character in a chaotic mess of emotion.

He took a hesitant step backward. The world spinning around him was jarred by his heel banging against the trash bin and producing a sharp metallic noise which drove right into Jaden's nerves.

He turned and ran without a second thought.


End file.
